Chris Meledandri Revisiting Curious George for More Mischief« FirstShowing.net

If the traditionally animated version ofCurious Georgereleased a few years back didn't tickle your fancy, you'll have another chance to see the famous literary monkey cause more mischief coming soon.24 Framesreports Illumination Entertainment, the company created byChris Meledandri(former Fox Animation President and producer of films likeIce AgeandDespicable Me) is developing another computer animated adaptation of thefamous book series. The film will apparently feature the same"wry animated images"fromDespicable Me, but with a completely new story featuring George and The Man in the Yellow Hat yet again.

If you're too old, too young or just don't remember your childhood very well, the series of children's books focused on the adventures ofGeorge- a primate (whether he's simply a monkey or a chimpanzee is up for debate depending on the illustrator) who's taken out of the jungle by an eccentric explorer to live in the city. But the city is full of trouble for George to get into whether he intends to or not. Though Will Ferrell lent his voice to the previousanimated adaptation(directed by Matthew O'Callaghan), the film wasn't a big success. This will be a fresh start for the family fare property with a script fromLittle FockerswriterLarry Stuckey.

Surely Illumination and Universal are hoping to duplicate the surprise box office success of this summer'sDespicable Me, but I think they'll have better luck with adaptations likeWhere's Waldoand Dr. Seuss'The Loraxrather than revisiting something that's only a few years old, but you never know.Anyonecurious?

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Len Wiseman to Direct Contemporary Remake of Total Recall« FirstShowing.net

It's been over a year sincewe heardscreenwriter Kurt Wimmer (Equilibrium,Street Kings) was hired to pen the remake ofTotal Recall, or rather, a new adaptation of Philip K. Dick's storyWe Can Remember It for You Wholesale. But today comes the first real development on that project in a very long time as Columbia Pictures has officially announced via press release (read here) thatLen Wiseman(Live Free or Die Hard,Underworld) will direct this new, contemporary adaptation. For those of you who were already lamenting the fact thatTotal Recallwas being remade, I can't really see this news changing anybody's mind right now.

Here's some fluffy PR quotes to try and put your mind at ease. Producer Neal H. Moritz says:"I have been trying for years to work with Len and fortunately we finally found a great project that helovesas much as we do. Len is terrifically talented and we know he is the right director to re-imagineTotal Recallfor a new generation of fans.” Well he's not going to say he hated the fourthDie Hard, so obviously they think he's the right guy for the job. Columbia president Matt Tolmach added this bit of puffery:"Len has an incredible love of the genre and agreat gift for action. He'll bring a contemporary feel to the film while taking care with everything we love about Philip K. Dick's original story."Anyone sold by all this crazy mumbo jumbo?

Meanwhile, Wiseman himself says,"I've always been fascinated with Philip K. Dick's short story, and I'm excited at that prospect of diving even deeper into the type of world it evokes and the questions it asks. I love that the most crucial mystery our character is trying to solve is the one of his own soul.” That's a little less bullshit, and a little more interesting, but Wiseman has an uphill battle to convince people (including me) this is something they need to see. Schwarzenegger and Paul Verhoeven made a damn good sci-fi film back in the day, and that will be hard to live up to. We can see what Wiseman's recent work looks like when the remake of the classic series"Hawaii Five-0"hits CBS this fall (Wiseman directed the pilot).Thoughts?

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Four Directors Set to Adapt Will Eisner's 'A Contract with God'« FirstShowing.net

Though many will agree thatThe Spiritmay indeed be one of the worst comic book movies of all-time, that doesn't take away any of writerWill Eisner'sinfluence on graphic novels and their eventual acceptance as true form of literature. As a matter of fact, Eisner'sgraphic novelwhich brought credibility to the medium is now heading to the big screen.THRreportsA Contract with Godwill be adapted into a live-action film with directorsAlex Rivera(Sleep Dealer),Tze Chun(Children of Invention),Barry Jenkins(Medicine for Melancholy) andSean Baker(Prince of Broadway) each helming one chapter of the story on screen.

A Contract with Godis essentially the first illustrated story to break away from the comic book moniker to become the first graphic novel.The works within re-create the neighborhood of Will Eisner's youth through a quartet of four interwoven stories which express the joy, exuberance, tragedy, and drama of life on Dropsie Avenue in the Bronx. I cannot imagine such a seminal work will be easy to adapt to film and yet still appease fans of the classic graphic novel, but it will be interesting to see how this comes together. After all, it can't be any worse than the literal pile of shit that we saw on screen inThe Spirit. Stay tuned!Anyone interested?

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Paramount Picks Up Another Michael Bay 'Alien' Sci-Fi Project« FirstShowing.net

And here we have a big spec script sale not long after wrapping up Comic-Con to prove that sci-fi and aliens are the hot thing right now (e.g.Battle: LA, Skyline, Falling Skies).DeadlinesaysParamounthas picked up a spec script for a"modestly budgeted extraterrestrial project"thatMichael Baywill produce (at some point). It's supposedly called the"Confidential Alien Project"(meaning probably to be later surprisingly renamed) and is said to be a"cross betweenCloverfieldandParanormal Activity."Ummm wait - isn't whatParanormal Activity'sOren Peli directing as his next film,Area 51, the exact same for Paramount anyway?

Deadline says that WME made the deal with Paramount and both Michael Bay and Steven Schneider (Area 51, Paranormal Activity 2) will produce, while first-time feature filmmakerBobby Glickertwill be writing and directing. Glickert was a PA on the firstTransformersand was also the assistant to Justin Lin onFast& Furious; he's also got a few short films under his belt calledRoad to MolochandThe Descendent. It's hard to really comment on this without knowing too much about it, but I just hope it's original and different but still awesome in its own way. It'll suck if we have nothing but the same old repeated yet again.Thoughts?

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Comic-Con 2010: Fincher and Giamatti Rock The Goon Panel« FirstShowing.net

After watching thatbadass short teaserforThe Goonthat debuted earlier this week, I made it a priority to stop by the panel held at Comic-Con today for the upcoming animated comic book adaptation based on Eric Powell's comics. It was a very good choice as not only was the panel thoroughly entertaining (thanks toReno 911'sBen Garantas the moderator), but on top of that, producerDavid Fincherand actorPaul Giamattishowed up as well to support the indie project, which is still searching for a studio to finance and distribute the movie. They also debuted an awesome extended version of that sametest footagefrom earlier this week.

"Everything is going great, {we} could not have asked {to be in} a better situation"with David Fincher and Blur Studios,The Goon'sauthor Eric Powell said at the start of the panel. I think the fact that both Fincher and Giamatti (who voices sidekick Franky) appeared here to support the movie is a great sign. Alas, they still don't have the money, and this is just a test but it's in the works. For the last year, Powell's been developing the script (with Fincher's input), working on test animation, and lots of artwork for the film. The panel was to test their"sales pitch"and they're planning to meet with studios next month using the buzz from today.

Andboywas there somebuzz! The footage was shown three times, the audience cheering louder each time, and the whole thing was just a kick ass experience that I'm glad I made time to include in my busy schedule. I'm not even that familiar with the comic book this is based on, but Iwantto see this as soon as possible! Giamatti was sold when he read three pages of the script which was"crazy"and Fincher has been spending a lot of time with Powell developing it, not just leaving it on its own. There was no other person they thought would be perfect for Franky than Giamatti and it's great they got him (Clancy Brownvoices The Goon).

Although the test footage seems violent, crude, and totally something not made for kids, they confirmed thatThe Goonmovie will most likely end up being ratedPG-13, although Fincher would only say it's not going to be"hard R."But since this is an animated movie, they don't really have to worry about ant of the violence in it."We plan to have lots of violence,"Powell said."There's not a Hollywood moment in it, this is 100%Goonfrom the comics,"he stated. Never once did they ask them to change anything about the characters, they are exactly as Powell made them. If you want to start readingThe Gooncomics, you can visit:thegoon.com.

I'm now a full-on support ofThe Goonand this panel proves that there are enough fans to get this made! It wasn't packed to the gills, but they were definitely loud, loyal and loving everything they saw (and heard). It was even more awesome to see Fincher and Giamatti here in person supporting this indie project, a worthy surprise. Finally,MTVhas now debuted the extended footage, which can bewatchedin full below - enjoy!

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The Avengers Line-Up Fully Confirmed, Whedon is Directing!« FirstShowing.net

Marvel Studios just rockedComic-Conlike never before. In the history of this fine convention, nothing has ever been this incredibly epic and this exciting. At the finale of their otherwise awesome panel highlightingCaptain AmericaandThor, Kevin Feige brought the ENTIRE crew ofThe Avengersdown to San Diego to make an appearance.Samuel L. Jacksonas Nick Fury,Robert Downey Jr.as Iron Man,Clark Greggas Coulson,Scarlett Johanssonas Black Widow,Chris Hemsworthas Thor,Chris Evansas Captain America,Jeremy Renneras Hawkeye,Mark Ruffaloas Bruce Banner. And at the helm is Joss Whedon.

This is the truly the moment we've all been waiting to see for a long, long time. There have been rumors and speculation and buzz about anAvengersmovie for years, but it is finally happening, it is coming soon, and here's our line-up. No, Ant-Man isnotin the movie despite the rumors earlier this week of Nathan Fillion's involvement. And yes, Edward Norton has been replaced by Mark Ruffalo as Hulk, as he appeared on stage today with the rest of theAvengerscast mentioned above."I'm very nervous, I need your love and support,"Whedon says. But it definitely sounds like he's ready to take this on. And it all arrives onMay 4th, 2012!

We'll probably have plenty more coverage and updates and extra buzz about this incredible unveiling today at Comic-Con, so you'll definitely want to stick around over this weekend for more. But until then, we want to hearyourthoughts. Are you ready forThe Avengersmovie led by Joss Whedon, starringthatcast and that line-up of superheroes uniting against a common enemy? Is this a dream team?What do you think?

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Comic-Con 2010: Rainn Wilson& Ellen Page are Gunn's 'Super'« FirstShowing.net

By now plenty of movie-goers are familiar with most superheroes like Superman, Spider-Man and Iron Man, and some are even familiar with other heroes that aren't that"super"like Kick-Ass or maybeDefendor. Now directorJames Gunn(Slither) is bringing us even lesser of a hero withSuper, the story of a guy down-on-his-luck (Rainn Wilson) who attempts to win his drug addicted wife (Liv Tyler) back from a glamorous drug dealer by teaming up with a psychopathic teen (Ellen Page) and becoming costumed crimefighters. Gunn brought a scene and a special trailer cut together exclusively for Comic-Con. So what is the verdict?

The footage wasn't color corrected and the sound wasn't locked or even edited, but the collection of footage that formed a makeshift trailer wasn't any less outrageous and hilarious. When everyone sees the first bit of footage from the movie, it will undoubtedly draw comparisons toKick-Ass, and that's not necessarily a bad thing (if you liked that movie). However, this film has a different kind of darkness. It's gritty, but not like Gotham City. It's very violent (Page blows up someone with a stick of dynamite and pieces go everywhere), but not comic book violent. This is a film about a superhero who calls himselfThe Crimson Bolt, that doesn't necessarily have noble intentions, but wants to impress his wife in order to win her back.

Sure he may fight crime, but he also bludgeons a man who cuts in line in the head with a wrench (a crime that some may think worthy of such punishment here at Comic-Con) and then hits his wife after. Gunn calls it"a fucked up, low-rentWatchmen."

Along for the ride isEllen Pagewho is enthusiastic and ambitious (along with being"a sociopath hinging on becoming a psychopath”) about joining The Crimson Bolt though she may not exactly have the physical prowess or dexterity for the job. In addition, Gunn's frequent collaboratorNathan Fillionis along for the ride asThe Holy Avengerand we get the briefest look at his character in the form of a close-up complete with a masterful wink. AndKevin Baconis the drug dealing antagonist using his six degrees of charm and douchebaggery to keep Crimson Bolt on is toes. Michael Rooker stands by to partake in some choice taunts and slightly villainous activity as well. And if there's anyone out there who isn't convinced of the usefulness of twitter, producer Ted Hope found out about the film throughJames Gunn's twitter. Only in Hollywood.

Though this film certainly has it's own unique style, which Fillion says comes from the"grotesque angle you can come to expect from James Gunn,"it's accurate to say that this feels like a cross betweenKick-AssandDefendor. Gunn and Wilson mentioned that there's certainly some hard drama in the film amidst the hilarious crime fighting and heroics, and when you couple that with the hyper-real nature of the violence and setting, you definitely get kind of superhero movie.

What also makes it different is the lack of studio backing. This is a project Gunn got together on his own and at the suggestion of his ex-wife Jenna Fischer (Pam from"The Office") chose as his next project. Fischer even went so far so to suggest Rainn Wilson (who plays Dwight on"The Office") for the lead and the rest is history. Gunn was just lucky that such an impressive and in-demand cast agreed to do the flick for a fee that was apparently as low as the Screen Actors Guild would allow.

With a lack of studio interference, the footage clearly shows that Gunn has been left to do what he pleases. This includes exhausting and not always fun shooting schedules that sometimes included 54 set-ups in a day (major studio productions barely get 15 done in a day) which definitely put some strain on the cast. Gunn himself even said,"This was a huge struggle. It was sort of hellish."Apparently the lovely Liv Tyler had a rough time adjusting at first because she wasn't used to working so quickly (they shot half of her entire film appearance in one day), but Gunn talked it over with her and everything went swimmingly after that. I hope all of this hard work pays off and audiences respond just as well as the Hall H fans did here at Comic-Con.

We will keep you updated onSuperand you can also visitTheCrimsonBolt.comfor continued updates.

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Guillermo del Toro to Direct Disney's Haunted Mansion Reboot« FirstShowing.net

Disney just announced a HUGE surprise announcement at Comic-Con:Guillermo del Torois directing a reboot ofThe Haunted Mansion. After theTron Legacypanel, which just plain kicked ass, moderator Patton Oswalt asked audiences what Disney franchise they'd want to see rebooted. Then they rolled a brief teaser logo forThe Haunted Mansionand introduced del Toro to the stage. They are making it live-action, and in 3D, and will be making the mansion the scariest place on earth."If you take the children, they will scream,"del Toro said. It's one his favorite experiences and he's excited to bring it to the big screen again.

Del Toro, who was there to give his brief take on what he'll be doing withThe Haunted Mansion, said that they're staying true to the art and aesthetic of the original ride that the Disney Imagineers created. They are not making a comedy and Eddie Murphy definitely won't be back. He also says that they're going to make itscaryandfun, at the same time."But the scarywillbe scary,"del Toro promised. And for hardcore fans of the ride, the mythology is going to be created around the"Hat Box Ghost."who is returning. The originalHaunted Mansionrideopened at Disneyland in 1969 and has been updated and expanded over the years.

This looks like it is the project that, sadly, del Toro had to leaveThe Hobbitto take on. However, I trust del Toro and if he says he's going to deliver a scary, modernHaunted Mansionmovie that could become a new classic for generations to enjoy, than I think he can certainly do that. My concern isNOTthat he leftHobbitfor this, I care more about knowing who his replacement is.What do you think - good news or bad?

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Brad Pitt Officially Cast in Marc Forster's World War Z Movie« FirstShowing.net

Some hot movie news right off the Comic-Con showfloor to report tonight that should make some zombie fans happy. BothBleeding CoolandMTVheard straight fromWorld War ZauthorMax Brookstonight that not only is the big screen version of the bestselling zombie bookWorld War Zfinally moving forward, set to hit theaters in summer2012, but thatBrad Pittis officially signed on to star. You may remember that Pitt's production company Plan B was the one thatpicked up the rightsand has been developing this, withQuantum of Solace'sMarc Forsterstill attached to direct (presumably after he finishesDisconnect).

MTV actually published a few quotes from Brooks that seem quite optimistic, which should be great news for any fans of the book, especially because we thought this adaptation had been put on the backburner.

"I can't believe how cool Paramount has been to me and these projects, and how cool Plan B has been,"said Brooks when asked for his reaction to the news.

"I'm glad they took their time, and are trying to make thebest zombie moviethey can,"said Brooks."I'm so glad they stayed with the project and so glad they found theright team."

This is going to have bereallygood to actually live up to all of the expectations fans of the book have, but I think it's certainly possible and it's glad to hear that Brooks is optimistic as well. And to make things even better, Brooks said that Paramount has also optioned Brooks' other books:The Zombie Survival GuideandThe Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks. So ifWorld War Zis successful, they will look at adapting those as well, I'm guessing?World War Zis a popular book that contains numerous stories told by survivors of a worldwide apocalyptic war with the zombies. The original script was written by J. Michael Straczynski (he talks about it here), and recently rewritten by Matthew Michael Carnahan (The Kingdom, State of Play).

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Steve Coogan Set to Sail Again in 'Cruise of the Gods' Remake« FirstShowing.net

Though I've enjoyed many British comedy driven films likeShaun of the Dead,In The LoopandDeath at a Funeral(not the urban remake from Chris Rock) somehow the fanboy fueled filmCruise of the Godshas slipped through my fingers. The comedy followed a fan cruise in honor of a fictitious science-fiction series and the clashes amongst the cast when they reunite several decades after the series went off the air.Steve Coogan(Hamlet 2) played one of the stars who has since become more successful than the others and now24 Framesreports he will reprise his role in a new remake of the film currently titledThe Great Beyond.

Sounds likeGalaxy Questbut without all the science fiction action, and since I love the comedy inthatfilm, British comedy,andSteve Coogan, this sounds like it's right up my alley. Like24 Frames, I've been waiting for Coogan to catch a big break like fellow Brit comedian Ricky Gervais and it sounds like he may finally be getting it with thisFocus Featuresremake.Hamlet 2and his appearance inTropic Thunderwere steps in the right direction and this summer'sThe Other Guyswill be another. However, Coogan needs a leading role comparable to Gervais' underrated comediesGhost TownandThe Invention of Lyingto actually break out.

In addition to Coogan's involvement,Dinner for Schmucksco-writersDave GuionandMichael Handelmanwill be writing the remake and making their directorial debut with this as well. Hopefully thisisCoogan's potential break out gig, but only time will tell what happens. Stay tuned!Anyone else a fan of Coogan?

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Girl With the Dragon Tattoo to Be Hard R, Fincher for Trilogy?« FirstShowing.net

We've known since earlier this year thatDavid Fincherwould be directingThe Girl with the Dragon Tattooremake, the first in Sony's re-adaptation of the popularMillennium Trilogy. In addition to Fincher's directing, we've even heard that Daniel Craighad landedone of the lead roles in the flick, and there's been plenty of rumors of actresses like Carey Mulligan potentially snagging a lead role. Now we're finally getting wind of the style and tone for the American take on the series asThe Wrapinterviewed Sony's co-chairAmy Pascalwho revealed the films will be"very R-rated"and hopefully Fincher will be on-board for all of them.

SlashFilmscoured the extended interview and found this relevant bit from Pascal in regards to the trilogy:

"We're going to really do this, in all their glory. Otherwise why do it? They'revery R-rated movies. It's the shock of what's really going on underneath the surface of society. If you don't actually make good on that, you haven't told the story."

In addition, Fincher is ready to direct all three installments and so is Pascal:"I'm hoping he will. And he's hoping he will."How soon can we expect to see the trilogy get off the ground?"Well, I'm going to try to get these movies out as fast as possible. But, you know, we'll have the first one next Christmas. And hopefully, the next two as quick as I can get them. We're trying to figure that out now."And if the critical reception for the Swedish version (at least thefirst film) is any indicator, there should be plenty of people looking forward to Fincher's version, especially if he has free reign to be as violent, gritty and loyal to the books as possible.

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David Gordon Green's Suspiria Remake Moving Forward Soon« FirstShowing.net

We've been hearing intermittent optimistic updates about directorDavid Gordon Green's(Pineapple Express,Snow Angels) gestating remake of Dario Argento's1977 horror classicSuspiria. The project was first announcedback in 2008and last September we heard that the film wassupposed to be shootingthisyear. Well we're about halfway through the year and we haven't heard any new details until now.Bad Taste(viaTwitch) has now discovered that Argento has officially released the remake rights to his film and the producer,Marco Morabito, confirms that Green will finally be able to shoot the flick sometimenextyear.

Apparently Argento has come to the realization that allowingSuspiriato be remade is all right because he knows that his film is a masterpiece and cannot be overshadowed. At least he's modest. Though this is a project that has been in the works for awhile, Green has quite a line-up in his future includingThe Sitterwith Jonah Hill and a whole slew of projects set up at his Rough House production banner which he'll be producing. I think it's great that Morabito is so optimistic about finally getting the project off the ground, but we won't hold our breath. Oh and apparently there were rumors that Marilyn Manson almost landed a role in this project, but that just isn't true at all.Anyone really excited to see this remake happen?

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Roman Polanski Looking to Shoot 'God of Carnage' Next Year« FirstShowing.net

In case you haven't heard, the Swiss Ministryrecently releasedfilmmaker and alleged criminal-at-largeRoman Polanskirather then extraditing him back to the United States to answer for his past. You may rememberback in Januarywe reported that the filmmaker was hard at work developingGod of Carnage, the adaptation of the dark comedy stage play of the same name. Now that Polanski is free and likely to stay as far away from the US as possible,Vulturereports he's hard at work preparing to shoot the film next year. The story follows two sets of parents brought together by an altercation between their respective children.

Just because Polanski has been freed by the Swiss doesn't mean the drama surrounding his decades old sex crime has been swept under the rug. You can be sure US authorities will do everything they can to make him feel the full force of the law. But if you're one of those people who doesn't care what racist rantMel Gibson yelled, what space overlord Tom Cruise believes in, or what Roman Polanski does with girls, then this is just another piece of news. Personally, I'm looking forward to seeing what Polanski does with such an intimate and isolated story. Now we'll have to see if he's interested in casting the play's original cast, which included James Gandolfini, Marcia Gay Harden, Jeff Daniels.Anybody still a fan of Roman Polanski's work?

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Christopher McQuarrie Reworking, Maybe Directing, One Shot« FirstShowing.net

Much ofChristopher McQuarrie'ssuccess in screenwriting is paired with the success of Bryan Singer. Early on the two collaborated on the little known thrillerPublic Accessonly to break out with crime drama favoriteThe Usual Suspects. Over a decade later the two found reasonable success withValkyrie. Between their collaboration, McQuarrie directed his first film to mixed reviews withThe Way of the Gunin the year 2000. Now it looks like McQuarrie may be hopping in the director's chair again asHeat Visionreports he's been hired to rework the script for the thrillerOne Shotfor Paramount and may potentially direct the film.

Though the novel on which the film is based is actually theninth in a series, this is still shaping up to be the start of a potentially lucrative new franchise for Paramount. Written by Lee Child, theseries of novelscenter on Jack Reacher, a military police officer-turned-drifter and McQuarrie plans to bring the same grittiness ofThe Way of the Gunto this adaptation. Here's the teasing logline for the novel:

Six Shots. Five dead. One heartland city thrown into a state of terror. But within hours the cops have it solved: a slam-dunk case. Except for one thing. The accused man says: You got the wrong guy. Then he says: Get Reacher for me.

Sounds interesting enough. Meanwhile, McQuarrie is fresh off his work on the another thriller,The Touriststarring Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie. McQuarrie has a couple projects on his plate coming up including rewritingJack the Giant Killerfor Singer and writing the sequel toX-Men Origins: Wolverine. McQuarrie is a pretty great writer, and I'm surprised he doesn't get more consistent features work outside of collaborating with Bryan Singer, but there you have it. Recently McQuarrie has been working on his own TV series calledPersons Unknown, an emsemble mystery which has been hit or miss, but certainly keeps you guessing. Stay tuned for any updates onOne Shotand the rest of McQuarrie's future projects as more becomes available.

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Casting Tidbits: Andy Samberg, Jeremy Piven and Julie Bowen« FirstShowing.net

Jason Bourne is dead, you hear me? He drowned two weeks ago. You're gonna go tell 'em that Jason Bourne is dead, you understand? I swear to God, if I even feel somebody behind me, there is no measure to how fast and how hard I will bring Casting Tidbits to your doorstep. First, a whole slew of actors are coming together asThe WrapreportsAndy Samberg,Richard Jenkins,Woody Harrelson,Emma Stone,Patricia ClarksonandJenna Elfmanwill join Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake in the romantic comedyFriends With Benefits. This should not be confused withIvan Reitman's new comedy(formerly of the same title).

In addition,Varietyreports New York Yankees ballplayerAlex Rodriguezhas also lined up a role in the same film (Friends With Benefits) which follows two friends as they come out of disastrous relationships. It's unclear if A-Rod will be playing himself or just one of the many characters in the film. This is quite an interesting assembly of talent, but I'm not sure how we'll manage having two rom-coms with extremely similar premises. Oh wait, that happens with pretty much every other romantic comedy so nevermind.

Second,DeadlinereportsJeremy PivenandThomas Janewill star in the ensemble thrillerI Melt With Youfrom director Mark Pellington (ofHenry Poole is Herepreviously). Plot details are sparse other than the story follows the lives of four men. Here's Pellington's take on the premise which he crafted with Glenn Porter:"This is about four guys and deals with mortality, aging and friendship. It isvery darkandvery low budget. I have nothing against the larger budget movies I have made. I just want to make movies and doing it this way improves my chances."We'll be keeping out ears to the ground for more on this project.

Next up in casting,VarietyreportsJulie Bowen, who has found recent success on ABC's hit comedy series"Modern Family"has just landed two film roles. First, Bowen finds herself joining the ever-growing cast of the comedyHorrible Bosses. She'll play the wife of the recently cast third& final titular supervisor being played by Kevin Spacey. The cast already includes Colin Farrell and Jennifer Aniston as the other tyrannical bosses while Jason Sudeikis, Jason Bateman and Charlie Day are their murder-plotting employees. Second, the actress has also signed on to star inJumping the Broom, a wedding themed comedy where two African American families clash at Martha's Vineyard. Bowen plays the high strung wedding planner.

Finally,THRreports French comediansGad Elmaleh(Priceless) andManu Payetwill feel right at home as they have both been cast in Woody Allen's next filmMidnight in Pariswhich is currently shooting in the City of Lights. It has to serve as a compliment to them both to not only be cast in a Woody Allen movie, but to be straight up French comedians sought by the director since Allen himself is quite the stand-up comic. Both will only have small roles in the film but they have quite a bit of good company in the rest of the cast which already features Adrien Brody, Rachel McAdams, Owen Wilson, Kathy Bates and many more.

Well, that's all for this edition ofCasting Tidbits. Be sure to stay tuned for more casting updates on the way.

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'I'm Still Here: The Lost Year of Joaquin Phoenix' Coming Soon« FirstShowing.net

We've already heardCasey Afflecktalkrather seriouslyabout his"documentary"following actorJoaquin Phoenix'sfall from grace as he pursued a career in rapping and a makeshift aviary on his face. Now it looks like audiences will be able to see thesupposed crazinessthemselves asDeadlinereports Magnolia Pictures has acquiredI'm Still Here: The Lost Year of Joaquin Phoenixwith the intention of giving the film a limited release onSeptember 10thfollowed by a wide release the following week. While many distributors were simply confused by the film, Magnolia's president Eamonn Bowles is confident it'll draw an audience.

After seeing the film, which apparently borders on Andy Kaufman levels of realistic absurdity, Bowles wasn't interested in whether the footage formed a genuine documentary or simply a gritty mockumentary, but felt people needed to see it. Sounds good to me. Here's what he had to say via the press release:

"No matter what I thought coming in, I came out feeling this was apretty amazing piece of work, jaw dropping but dimensional. It is going to get a lot of attention, but it is not some cheap stunt where they said, 'Let's do some wild stuff and film it.' It is extreme behavior but really good filmmaking as well. Frankly, some of the behavior isvery extreme. But it is in the context of the insanity of being in Joaquin's life for that period of time. It is a unique piece of work that is going tosurprisepeople indifferent ways."

Of course anyone who saw Phoenix's public appearances (especially on"Late Night with David Letterman") will be interested to see this period in his life whether the nonsense within is fabricated or not. The trick will be getting people interested without grossing them out early on with the crazy content of the film. We heard alittle while backthat the Casey Affleck-directed film features Phoenix"snorting cocaine, ordering call girls, having oral sex with a publicist, treating his assistants abusively and rapping badly."But the very worst part to endure will be"more male frontal nudity than you'd find in some gay porn films and a stomach-turning sequence in which someone feuding with Phoenix defecates on the actor while he's asleep."Personally, I'm looking forward to seeing how outlandish this film truly is.Will you check this out in theaters or not?

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Tron Legacy Proofed by Pixar Heads, Got New Reshoots in June« FirstShowing.net

Nowthisis an awesome story to hear.Entertainment Weeklypublished a great article today about how theTron Legacyfilmmakers sought out the help of some of Pixar's best and brightest for advice on improving the film after they showed them an early cut in March. Then, they actually hiredToy Story 3writerMichael Arndtand directorBrad Birdto write some of the new pages for the reshoots. The screening took place in March, they also showed it to other filmmakers in LA, and then they went in for planned reshoots in June. An absolutely brilliant idea and I think this is going to only help make it a more polished movie all around.

The Pixar team that Tron was shown to included: John Lasseter, Ed Catmull,The Incrediblesdirector Brad Bird,Toy Story 3/Little Miss Sunshinewriter Michael Arndt, and others. They wanted to improve things like"character, emotion, and theme"and got advice from the guys who know that stuff the best."Tronis very much Joe Kosinski's vision, a vision which is thrilling to me and I hope is thrilling to the fans,"said producer Sean Bailey."What I give Joe and the filmmaking team immense credit for, is this was all born out of how do we give the fans the best movie we can. We were very fortunate that Pixar wanted to play a part."

Beyond just being a brilliant idea, one reason in particular that this was a smart movie is that I know many,manypeople I've talked to aboutTron Legacyhave been worried themostabout its story. Everyone has said that it certainly looks great, visually it's worth seeing, but they just want the story to be great as well, and I agree with them. This right here is evidence that they're doing everything they can to deliver thebest story they can, on top of improving everything else about it. I'm already extremely excited forTron Legacyand this only makes me more impatient. I can't wait to see what footage they show us at Comic-Con next week!

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Edward Norton's Official Statement on Not Returning as Hulk« FirstShowing.net

Who would've thought that the big news of July, pre-Comic-Con, would be all about howEdward Nortonwas no longergoingto Comic-Con, replaced by an"unknown"in the role of theHulk. We've covered most of thebasic storyalready, but the man himself, Edward Norton, released an official statement today. It was forwarded to me by his rep so I can confirm that it's actually written by him and is his official word on the situation. It's a bit sad to read, but is a classy what to put an end to this crazy debacle. Sadly, it seems a few of youin the commentsdidn't exactly praise him, but I definitely enjoyed Norton'sHulkmore than Bana's.

This was originally posted on Norton's officialFacebook page. We still don't know who's going to be playing Bruce Banner / Hulk inThe Avengers(or anything else about the movie), but I'm afraid to find out anyway. It was confirmedover the weekendby Marvel Studios that they're looking at bringing on someone different to play Hulk inThe Avengersand beyond. This is just Norton's reply to that announcement that first hit last week, because, as you may have seen onSlashFilm, there's a bit of a yelling match going on with his agent. Marvel must really like replacing actors very easily. First it was Terrence Howard, now Norton.Who's next?

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Lionsgate's Saw VII Retitled to 'Saw 3D The Traps Come Alive'« FirstShowing.net

Here we go again. Lionsgate has officially retitledSaw VII, the seventh film in the horror franchise started by James Wan and Leigh Whannell in 2004, toSaw 3D The Traps Come Alive.STYDconfirmed the title change and even got to speak with producers Mark Burg and Oren Koules, who explained the reason for the new name (although I think we already knowwhy)."The Traps Come Alive"is just a tagline."It's a tagline that was added in and misinterpreted… One of the things we talked about, {especially shooting in 3D}, the traps really docome aliveand we wanted that clear in the campaign. But the title of the film isSaw 3D."

Saw VII, or justSaw 3D, orSaw 7, orSaw 3D The Traps Come Alive, or whatever you want to call it, is a significant sequel in that it's the first film shot in 3D in this franchise, it picks up exactly where part six left off and will supposedly answer most remaining questions, and it also marks the return ofCary Elwes, who infamously starred in the first film."Saw 3DisSawon steroids,"Burg says."It'sthatgood. I don't want to over-hype it, but it takesSawto the next level. {Kevin} Greutert is the most talented of theSawdirectors we've worked with."Well okay, but will that actually make any difference or will fans still write this one off?

"The only reason there is a tagline, is we didn't want to confuse people and make them think we re-did the originalSawin 3D. This isbrand-new 3D technology. We talked about shooting six and then converting it in 3D, but we didn't like the quality of it,"Burg says. So we know they areat leastthinking about quality when it comes to the 3D. Iusedto enjoy this franchise, I would hit the midnight show every year, but after last year'sSaw, I kind of lost interest. I don't want to see another one using 3D as a gimmick in theworstof ways. I guess I'll just hope for the best. Stay tuned for any updates onSaw 3Dfrom Comic-Con and beyond.

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It's Official: Edward Norton is No Longer Bruce Banner / Hulk« FirstShowing.net

We have full confirmation on thesurprising newsthat broke late last night courtesy ofHitFix. The same site has received an official statement fromMarvel Entertainmentconfirming thatEdward Nortonwill no longer be playingBruce Banner,akathe Hulk, and that Marvel is looking for an"unknown"to use inThe Avengers. We've"made the decision to not bring Ed Norton back to portray the title role of Bruce Banner inThe Avengers. Our decision is definitely not one based on monetary factors, but instead rooted in the need for an actor who embodies the creativity and collaborative spirit of our other talented cast members."

Marvel presidentKevin Feige, who wrote the message published onHitFix, adds:"The Avengersdemands players who thrive working as part of an ensemble, as evidenced by Robert, Chris H, Chris E, Sam, Scarlett, and all of our talented casts. We are looking to announce a name actor who fulfills these requirements, and is passionate about the iconic role in the coming weeks."So that means wewillfind out atComic-Conwho will be inThe Avengersline-up, including who will be replacing Norton in the role of Bruce Banner. So there we go. Even though I thought Norton did a damn good job hisHulkmovie, he's being replaced.Thoughts?

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Hardy, Craig, McGregor& Bloom All Vying for 'The Sweeney'« FirstShowing.net

When actors get to a certain point of success in their career, there really isn't much to the audition process other than mentioning you're interested in the project and letting agents, directors, producers and casting directors handle the rest. So when I see a group of well known names all going for the same part, you know it's got to be one hell of a part, and thus my interest begins. Case in point,The Playlisthas discovered (viaThe Daily Mail/OneIndia) thatTom Hardy,Daniel Craig,Ewan McGregorandOrlando Bloomare all looking to snag one of the leads inThe Sweeney, a big screen version of the70's British crime drama.

The series followed two members of the"Flying Squad,"a branch of the Metropolitan Police specializing in armed robbery and violent crime in London. Detective Inspector Jack Regan& Detective Sergeant George Carter are the roles in question for this remake. Apparently a different iteration of this withRay WinstoneandMichael Fassbenderplaying the detectives wasthrown out earlier this year. Now Fox Searchlight is looking to start again and attach a big name to star opposite Winstone, who is apparently still involved.

The Daily Mail had only mentioned Daniel Craig making a play for one of the roles (it's unclear which actor would play which detective), but OneIndia threw McGregor, Hardy and Bloom into the mix. Since neither we, nor The Playlist, is aware of OneIndia's reliability, all of the names seem like they could be decent fits for the part. However, I have to admit that I'm not entirely sold on seeing Orlando Bloom in anything that doesn't have a period setting just yet (he wasn't all that great inElizabethtown), so he wouldreallyhave to impress the hell out of me if he gets the role. Craig truly seems like the best choice, and withJames Bond not getting offthe ground anytime soon, he could take on this role after finishing upCowboys and Aliens.

Otherwise, Hardy isn't all the recognizable of a name yet (though he has some star-making roles coming up) and I'll watch Ewan McGregor is almost anything.Anyone like the sound of this adaptation so far?

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Casting Bits: Virginia Madsen, Jeremy Irons& Thomas Lennon« FirstShowing.net

My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, Commander of the Armies of the North, Gen. of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my Casting Tidbits, in this life or the next. First up,VarietyreportsVirgina Madsenhas joined the cast ofRed Riding Hood, the supernatural thriller take on the classic story. Madsen will play Red Hiding Hood's (Amanda Seyfried) mother in the Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight) directed story which sees a small village haunted by a werewolf. Gary Oldman, Lukas Haas and Julie Christie also star.Read on!

Second,Deadlinereports yet another fantastic addition to an already amazing cast asJeremy Ironshas signed on to star inMargin Call. The ensemble drama follows eight people at a prominent investment bank in a tumultuous 24-hour period during the early stages of the 2008 financial crisis as the characters struggle to position themselves ahead of the coming storm. Irons will play the chief executive of a financial firm alongside the likes of Kevin Spacey, Demi Moore, Zachary Quinto, Paul Bettany, Simon Baker, Stanley Tucci and Mary McDonnell in a film that will mark the feature directorial debut ofJ.C. Chandorwho also wrote the script.

Next,THRreports the hilarious writer/comedianThomas Lennonhas lined up roles in two different forthcoming comedies. The first will see him involved with plenty of shenanigans alongside John Cho and Kal Penn in the holiday comedy sequelA Very Harold& Kumar Christmas. Lennon will play a suburban dad and neighbor of Harold's who gets caught up in the duo's crazy chaos. The second role will see him as one of a plethora of ex-boyfriends inWhat's Your Number?, a romantic comedy starring Anna Faris. Lennon is just one of many boyfriends who Faris reconnects with in her search for the one that may have gotten away.

Also,Heat VisionreportsMegan Park(Charlie Bartlett,"The Secret Life of the American Teenager") had joined the cast ofGuns, Girls and Gambling, the crazy indie crime thriller starring Christian Slater, Gary Oldman and Dane Cook. The story focuses on the search for a priceless American Indian artifact stolen during a poker game at an Indian casino, with Elvis impersonators (Slater, Oldman), a 6-foot-tall blond assassin, a frat boy, a corrupt sheriff (Cook) and a prostitute in pursuit. Though it's not specifically mentioned, can we assume that Park will be playing the prostitute? I'm sure we'll find out sooner or later.

Next,THRreportsDanny Glover,Gina GershonandRobert Patrickhave all signed on to star in the indie dramaFive Minarets in New York, the English-language debut of Turkish writer/directorMahsun Kirmizigul. The film tells the story of Maria (Gershon), the wife of a Turkish scholar who is arrested by federal authorities after being wrongfully accused of a crime. No word on the roles Patrick and Glover take on in the film, but this is an interesting assembly of talent working with an established foreign director, so this will be one to look out for at festivals and such.

In addition,Wednesday's Korner(viaCinema Blend) reportsRoger L. Jackson, the voice behind the infamous Ghostface killer in the Scream franchise, will reprise his role on the other side of the phone forScream 4. Jackson said,"It's a lot of fun, I love the work! It's going to be a great horror sequel.” I wonder if he said that before all the supposedscript changes we've been hearing aboutthat seems to have pissed off the rest of the cast. At least Jackson is another familiar element of the original franchise that is being brought back for the sequel. Hopefully the rest come together well enough to overcome the bad word of mouth from the set.

Also,Risky BizreportsElisabeth Röhm("Heroes") has joined the cast ofAbduction, the Taylor Lautner led action thriller from director John Singleton. Röhm is replacing Emily Mortimer as Lautner's biological mother in the story of a young man who goes on the run after discovering that his parents aren’t his own when he sees his baby picture on a missing persons website. This will be a project to watch simply to find out if Taylor Lautner's awful acting is merely a result ofThe Twilight Saga'smelodrama, or because his only talent seems to be inexplicable appearances with his shirt off.

Finally,DeadlinereportsJames Fox(Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,Sherlock Holmes) and his sonLaurence Foxhave both signed on to star in Madonna's period pictureW.E.(as in Wallis and Edward). The story is similar toJulie& Juliain that it flashes between the past and present as a young married New Yorker (Abbie Cornish) in 1998, finds herself obsessed with what she perceives as the ultimate romantic love story: Edward VIII’s abdication for his love of Wallis Simpson. The elder Fox will play King George V while the young plays Bertie, the unwilling heir to the throne. I'm not sure what to expect since Ewan McGregor and Vera Farmiga took themselves away from the project, but it sounds somewhat interesting.

Well, that's all for this edition ofCasting Tidbits. Be sure to stay tuned for more casting updates on the way.

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Terrence Malick's Tree of Life Rated PG-13, But is It Finished?« FirstShowing.net

Although we still haven't seen a single new photo (besides the one above, on the right side) or poster or any imagery even remotely related to Terrence Malick's new filmThe Tree of Life, and although it didn't show up in Cannes this year, there's still a chance wemaysee the film by the end of the year.RopeofSilicon(viaSlashFilm) reports that the MPAA has seenThe Tree of Lifeand given it aPG-13rating"for some thematic material."That honestly seems pretty tame for a film we thought would be much more epic, or at least more like Malick's violent and R-ratedThe Thin Red Line. Besides that rating, there still isn't a release date yet.

In fact,Apparition, the indie distributor (founded just last year) that is still set to releaseTree of Life, hasrecently fallen apart, with resigning CEOs and layoffs, so we have no clue if they will even be releasinganyfilms the rest of this year. Welast reported back in MarchthatTree of Lifewould hit theaters in November, but that's all we've heard since then, without any actual confirmation. I think everyone is just anxious to see the new Terrence Malick film, which was shot in Texas back in early 2008. Our best bet is that it may show up at the Venice or Toronto Film Festivals in September, and if that's the case we'll certainly let you know.

We're doing our best to keep you updated on release plans forThe Tree of Life, but this is one of those films thatnotmany people know about yet. If you're unfamiliar with it, I suggest reading any ofour past articles onTree of Lifeto get a better sense of what it's about and why there's so much anticipation for the new film.

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Christian Bale WON'T Lead Zack Snyder's The Last Photograph« FirstShowing.net

I've recently been wondering whatChristian Baleis up to since we haven't heard much about any future projects since last year'sPublic EnemiesandTerminator Salvation(which may have been overshadowed by hisbehavior on set) and the yet to be releasedThe Fighter. Now we have an answer asPajibahas discovered from an inside source that Bale is set to star inThe Last Photograph, a drama that's beengestating for a few yearsbased on an original idea from filmmakerZack Snyder(300,Watchmen) which"revolves around a photograph that becomes the catalyst for a journey two men undertake throughout war-torn Afghanistan."

For some reason this"original idea"sounds extremely familiar, but I just can't remember why. Immediately I'm remembering a scene where a soldier finds a photo of a woman in some rubble and either it was just an isolated scene that didn't go anywhere, or it was the catalyst of him finding the woman because her picture kept him going during whatever war they were fighting. It's really driving me quite crazy. Anyway, we first heard about this project wayback in 2007and again back in 2009 when Sergei Bodrov (Mongol) wassaid to be directingthe project. Now Pajiba saysNiels Adren Oplev(ofThe Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which isnow available on Netflix Instant) is the frontrunner to direct, but they're careful to call that a rumor for now. Since neither Bale nor Oplev have anything lined up coming up, this seems like a perfect match.Interested?

Update:We were just informed by Zack Snyder's rep that this isnotentirely true. Bale only"read a draft"ofThe Last Photographbut hasn't agreed to any role and hasn't even started negotiating a"deal"for it yet. Essentially it was a bit of premature casting that jumped the gun. We'll do our best to keep you updated on whatever news we hear onThe Last Photograph. For now this is just a bit of speculation, awhat ifscenario.

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Sean Penn Starring in Biopic of Surfing Icon Dorian Paskowitz« FirstShowing.net

Despite being a bit longwinded in his political opinions from time to time,Sean Penn'stalent on-screen is a force to be reckoned with. However, when I really think about it, it's almost hard to accept that the same actor who lit up the screen inMilkand went"full retard"inI Am Samis also the same young actor who had pizza delivered to his history class as surfer dude Jeff Spicoli inFast Times at Ridgemont High. I'm pretty sure I've heard that Penn doesn't like flashing back to that role very much, but he's going to get a lot more questions about it asVarietyreports he might star in abiopicoficonic surferDorian"Doc"Paskowitz.

Penn is also slated to produce this film, which will focus on not only Paskowitz himself, but the rest of his family as they have all been dubbed"The First Family of Surfing."Beginning in 1972, Doc founded the first surf camp on the continental United States run exclusively by his family where campers could live alongside and surf with members of the Paskowitz Family. Co-producers Matt Weaver and Graydon Carter had a very difficult time trying to secure the life rights to Paskowitz, who is now 89 years-old, but were finally given the go ahead on the film when Penn got involved. No director is attached, butPaul Feldsheris writing the script.

I'm not sure how much of a surfing cliche Paskowitz may be in real life, but this is the guy who abandoned a successful medical practice and hit the road in a camper with his wife and nine children so it should be quite an interesting character for Penn to bring to life. We'll keep you updated on the film.Anyone interested?

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Michael Bay Shooting Transformers 3 with PACE 3D Cameras« FirstShowing.net

In the world of3Dthese days, there are only a few productions that actually usually the groundbreaking technology invented forAvatar. As in, there are incredible 3D cameras out there, but not many people use them. Good news though forTransformersfans, as Michael Bay'sTransformers 3, which already started shooting, is definitely using those innovative 3D cameras. Our friends atMarketSawgot a big update from Vince Pace, the co-found ofPACE, the company that makes the 3D cameras. He confirms thatTransformers 3is being shot in"native"3D (not converted) and is using the PACE cameras. So far so good on this sequel!

From Pace:"Trying to lay low and do what I do best. We took delivery of the first Alexa cameras for {Martin Scorsese's Hugo Cabret} and have 23 more on the way. Transformers has also signed on to shoot 3D throughout the film. I am working on a big Disney film but can’t mention the name and are lining up five more films. Just wrapped on additional photography for Resident Evil and Tron. Currently in Hawaii and flying out to London for Hugo."

It's kind of funny to see Michael Bay actually going all out shooting this in 3D when wequoted him last yearsaying that 3D"might be a gimmick."He then went through atest processto see if it was worth going 3D onTransformers 3and obviously he must have been sold on something, as he's now fully into this. Anyone who has seen M. Night Shyamalan'sThe Last Airbenderknow was terrible 3D looks like, so it's good to hear that Bay is shooting this one the ground up in 3D. This will be one movie I might actually look forward to seeing in 3D! Is everyone else just as interested in seeing a movie in 3D if they know it was actuallyshotin 3D?

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Sucker Punch Won't Be 3D? Zack Snyder Unsure of Conversion« FirstShowing.net

File this underobvious.MTVrecently talked with directorZack Snyderabout his upcoming action movieSucker Punch(that we'll be get a look at during Comic-Con). It wasannouncedin March that thatSucker Punchwould be going 3D (in addition toGreen Lantern) but apparently that was a bit premature. Snyder explains:"We've looked at a bunch of conversions, so whether or not we have the time to do it right— I'm not going to do it if we don't have the time to really be meticulous… It's such an awesome piece of work and everyone's worked so hard to make it awesome, so I don't want toscrew it upwith bad 3-D."Me either!

Zack's wife& producer Debbie Snyder takes over."There are all these movies that want to be converted and we just haven't felt like we've seen that proof yet. Visually, Zack's done an amazing job. It's such a spectacle in and of itself and it's so fantastical thatit doesn't really need the 3-D."Then don't convert it to 3D! I knowWarner Bros recently enactedan all-tentpole-movies-in-3D policy of sorts, but they should realize that audiences don't like converted 3D, even ifClash of the Titansdid make them a boatload of money. I can't tell you how happy it makes me to hear that a filmmaker like Zack Snyder realizes it's a bad idea to convert.

Beyond the 3D aspect of the movie, you should be looking forward toSucker Punchbecause it's anoriginalidea (and we all know how rare that is)."This is Zack's first original screenplay, him and Kurt Johnstad who was his writing partner on300,"Snyder said."I think that's really exciting. Everything is so derivative right now in Hollywood, to actually have something that's original is refreshing."It certainly is and from what I've heard about it, it'll be very badass. It's not confirmed thatSucker Punchwill no longer be in 3D, but I have a good feeling that's the way they're leaning. We'll let you know when or if we hear any official confirmation.

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Scream 4 Gains More Cast, But a New Script Creates Problems« FirstShowing.net

Apparently the people of Woodsboro aren't theonlyvictims as Wes Craven begins shooting his slasher film sequelScream 4.Lauren Graham's departurefrom the project seems to be only one ofmanyproblems that recent re-writes have brought upon the production. Despite the fact that the filmgained new talenttoday in the casting ofAlison Brie("Community") andMary McDonnell("Battlestar Galactica"),Zap2Itreports that much of the cast isn't pleased with the new direction the most recent draft of the script has taken. The source of the problem seems to be that writerKevin Williamsonhas been replaced withEhren Kruger.

Originally, Williamson was a source of much excitement from franchise fans, especially since the best of the series (the first two films) came from his mind. Meanwhile, Kruger was responsible for the lackluster, shark-jumping sequelScream 3, not to mention last summer's favorite film to hateTransformers: Revenge of the Fallen. The news of dissension amongst the cast concerning the scriptcame this morningfrom Zap2It and then theyfollowed upwith word that Williamson is no longer involved with the project at all (really?), and that the proposed sequels to followScream 4(as a trilogy) seem to be up in the air along with his departure.

So what the hell's the problem with the new script? Well, Lauren Graham's departure is due to the re-write which reduced her part from"a fun role"which"had some meaty scenes"down to a role where"she had like four lines."Meanwhile, apparentlyHayden Panetierre'scharacter"used to be really sharp"but has been"dumbed down significantly"and theHeroesactress is"beyond frustrated with the changes."One might be thinking why horror masterWes Cravenisn't keeping everyone in line, and the director addressed these issues ever so brieflyvia an update on Twitterstating that"I havenot been given control of the script."

Apparently a representative for Dimension Films andScream 4said that they'll havecorporate bullshit and damage controlan official comment as soon as possible, but until then we're left waiting to see if all of this is legit or not. This doesn't sound good at all, but stay tuned for any more updates.Anyone else concerned?

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Casting Tidbits: Thomas Jane, Heather Graham and Kali Hawk« FirstShowing.net

I don't wanna to talk to you no more, you empty-headed animal food trough wiper. I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of Casting Tidbits. First,THRreportsThomas Janewill join Miley Cyrus, Ashley Greene and Demi Moore in the filmLOL, a remake of the 2009 French filmLaughing Out Loud. Jane will play the father in the story of a teenage girl (Cyrus) who is dumped by her more sexually experienced boyfriend while her divorcee mother (Moore) struggles to move on with her life.Ashley Hinshaw(who I just realized went to my high school) andGeorge Finnhave also joined the cast.

Second,VarietyreportsHeather Graham, who hasn't found any real solid career ground since The Hangover, will star inJudy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer, based on the popular children's book series. She will play zany Aunt Opal, a globe-trotting, somewhat nutty personality who babysits Judy and Judy's brother Stink for the summer.Aliens in the Atticdirector John Schultz is helming the family film. The series follows the humorous adventures of third-grader Judy Moody. Wacky!

Next,THRreportsKali Hawk(Get Him to the Greek,Couples Retreat) has signed on to star in the Kristen Wiig wedding comedyBridesmaids. The story follows a maid of honor trying to please the snobby, rich bridesmaids at every wedding event before her best friend's nuptials. Hawk will be playing one of the wealthy bridesmaids and Rose Byrne and Maya Rudolph will be in the mix with her. Paul Feig is writing with collaborator Judd Apatow producing.

Also,THRreportsStephen Bishop(The Rundown) has signed on to star as baseball playerDavid JusticeinMoneyball, the adaptation of Michael Lewis' 2003 non-fiction book about Oakland Athletics general managerBilly Beaneand his strategy for building a successful team without paying players enormous salaries. Written by screenwriting heavyweights Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zaillian and directed by Bennett Miller, the baseball drama also stars Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Robin Wright, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Sounds like a damn good flick to me.

Finally,THRreportsAngela Bassetthas joined the cast ofJumping the Broom, an ensemble wedding comedy from Salim Akil ("The Game"). The story follows the clash of two black families from opposite ends of the socioeconomic spectrum meeting for the first time during a weekend wedding in Martha's Vineyard. The film (which can only be helped by a lack of Tyler Perry) also stars Paula Patton, Laz Alonso, Loretta Devine and Romeo Miller.

Well, that's all for this edition ofCasting Tidbits. Be sure to stay tuned for more casting updates on the way.

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Brody, Shelton& Knudsen Join Scream 4, Graham Drops Out« FirstShowing.net

Fresh meat for the grinder. Although they already started principal photography this week, the cast is just coming together now.Heat VisionreportsAdam Brody,Marley SheltonandErik Knudsen("Jericho") have joined the cast ofScream 4. Brody plays a recent college graduate who's a cop; Shelton plays a deputy who knew Neve Campbell's character in high school, which Lake Bell had been cast in untilshe dropped out; and Knudsen plays a horror movie convention nerd who's the comic relief. In related news,SlashFilmsays thatLauren Grahamhas also dropped out ofScream 4, leaving her role as Emma Roberts' mother vacant.

To preserve the identity of the killer, director Wes Craven and writer Kevin Williamson are operating under several layers ofsecrecy, including not sending the script to agencies. At a table read last week, the actors were told to stop reading at page 75 to prevent even those already cast in the film from knowing the climax. It's a bit sad to see Marley Shelton as a replacement for another actress, as I consider her quite talented and underused. As for Brody and Knudsen, they're probably just more famous faces ready to be killed. Shooting is already underway up in Michigan and Dimension Films has set this for release onApril 15thnext year.

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